


BELLE FLEUR

by goldenmp3



Category: Greta Van Fleet (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Festivals, Food, and obviously this takes place in non-covid times lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27550570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenmp3/pseuds/goldenmp3
Summary: (y/n) and jake kiszka worked in two different parts of the music industry, but after meeting by fate in the summer of 2018, it was clear that the two were just written in the stars.
Relationships: Jake Kiszka/Reader
Kudos: 7





	1. CANYON DANCING

_June, 2018_

Hands raised high above your head, you felt the wind slip through your fingers like silk, warming your body under the hot sun that beat down on the hills of Los Angeles. It was only June, but it felt like the peak of summer when everyone headed to the beach for solace from the heat and their shop-made ice cream melted, dripping down their fingers. The warm wind drifted through your hair and across your shoulders as the convertible Mustang zoomed through Laurel Canyon - a streak of green lightning seen from the houses and shops they passed along the way, the hum of a song by the Cranberries following along behind it. 

Looking away from the bright blue sky, you saw your friends’ blonde hair whipping behind her as she drove faster and faster. In the passenger seat, your friends’ boyfriend was clutching onto the grocery bags, hoping nothing would fly out, while simultaneously gripping the door, hoping he wouldn’t fly out either. You felt the car slowed down outside of an airy, mid-century house in the canyon and pulled into the drive-way.

It was Cass’ friends house - a band whom she had spent the last few weeks working with in the studio between the legs of their tour. They were jetting off to Europe in a week and in fashion, to celebrate the work on the album, they were throwing an early summer cook-out. Everyone they had been working with - writers, producers, executives, they were all invited. And so were you, pulled in at the very last minute by Cass herself. Originally your trip to Los Angeles was going to be spent relaxing, sight-seeing, because after all this was your vacation … and nowhere in the itinerary said you would be whisked away to a band’s summer bash, but alas, Cass had roped you in and dragged you along anyways. 

“I love feeling like you are constantly about to kill me,” Roman said as the car came to a stop, shooting a glare to his girlfriend behind his dark sunglasses. Cass just laughed when she shut off the engine, pulling the keys from the ignition.

“You know I would never kill you,” 

“I’m starting to doubt that.” 

And you laughed at their playful bickering, shaking your head and jumping out of the car. You reached into the backseat and pulled out the reusable grocery bags, and a case of beers to tuck under your arm while Roman and Cass hopped out. 

“So,” you licked your lips, “what are these boys like?” You asked, taking a step back and allowing Cass to reach into the backseat. 

“Oh, you’ll love them. They are dolls.” Cass gushed with a smile, pulling up remaining bags and a case of hard seltzers.

You nodded and allowed her to take a step past, then following them both down the driveway to the side door. While meeting new people and social interactions were your forte, you were still relatively new to the music industry and those who were inside of the circle. You liked your circle behind the scenes, but the need to have a good first impression flooded over you. You had made your rounds of meeting the managers, the agents, public relations specialists, but the actual musicians and bands themselves were new territory. So when Cass pushed open the ajar door with her hip, emerging into a house full of new people, you sucked in a deep breath and followed right along.

Stepping in through the side door and into the kitchen, you took in the sight of a full and messy kitchen in front of you. Bodies filled the room, food and snacks were scattered over counters, coolers of drinks sat on the floor, and it seemed like a downright party. Walking in further, following Roman across the shiny hardwood floors, you stepped up to the counter and placed down the bags and case of beer onto the island. 

“Alright, who brought the beer?” A voice bellowed throughout the kitchen.

“I did!” You chirped up, eyes not even looking up before popping open the cardboard and grabbing one from inside. A cool blue can pressed against your palm and you turned and held it out in the direction of the voice - a guy with curly hair shot her a smile, but his head tilted to the side in confusion when he grabbed the can from her.

“This is (Y/N),” Cass said, catching onto his confusion, and sliding an arm around your shoulders. “And this is Josh,” she motioned back to him before speaking up again, “she’s visiting and I decided there was no better way to send her back to Austin tomorrow than with a party with you guys.” 

And Josh smiled wide, holding up a beer in your direction. You noticed how his face lit up when he smiled - his eyes brightening, his teeth white, it felt like the room was glowing. 

“The more the merrier,” he said.

Cass took a step back, her hand sliding from your shoulders to your forearm, then sliding her fingers into your hand. “Are the rest of the boys here?” 

Josh used his head to motion down the hallway. “They’re out back. Might want to go say hi before soon or they’ll be pissed that you didn’t.” And Cass snorted.

“They’ll kill me if I don’t acknowledge them within two minutes of walking in the door.” And she turned to you, squeezing your hand. “Come on, babe, I’ll go introduce you to the rest of the boys.” 

Your eyes darted in front of you to the case of cool beers, and you made a quick grab for one before Cass pulled you along behind her to the hallway off the kitchen. You two followed the sunlight peering in through the windows to the back of the house. A set of French doors were open, allowing the warm summer wind to swirl around the house, carrying the scent of food on the grill and pool chlorine with it. Your eyes darted around the backyard, realizing it was littered with the boys Cass had been talking about, animals, and lawn chairs. 

“Cassie baby!” You heard someone call out.

Cass’ hand left yours and she stepped out onto the patio, into the sunlight. When her name was called out by one, it garnered the attention of the others, and they all abandoned what they were doing to rush to the patio and greet the blonde with smiles and hugs all around. You chuckled, cracking open the can, and stepped out into the backyard behind them.

You saw how close the relationship between the boys of the band and Cass were - they were only together a few hours of the day, but in that time they managed to become close. You heard the stories the last few days in Los Angeles - the night out at the bar when one of them went missing and the time they ditched Roman with the bar tab, the pool parties, the time one of them crashed on her sofa because he couldn’t remember his address to put for an Uber. Endless stories in such a short time of knowing each other, and in a way, it made you jealous. You loved those types of friendships - the ones that came so naturally, and wondered if you would fit in with them as well as she did. 

“I want you guys to meet (Y/N),” Cass turned to you, holding out a hand, and you stepped forward into their line of sight. “We’ve known each other forever, and she’s visiting, so I wanted her to finally meet you all because I keep driving her crazy with stories about you guys.” 

“Oh god, that’s terrifying, stories of us?” The taller one asked before deadpanning at you. “There is no telling what you have heard from her mouth and I apologize.” 

You shook your head, leaning into Cass’ side, “nothing _too_ bad, I promise.” 

And Cass introduced you to the remaining boys - Danny, Sam, and Jake, and instead of the awkward ‘hellos’ and ‘nice to meet yous’ that you normally expected, maybe even with a handshake thrown in the mix, you were welcomed with wide smiles and hugs. Sam pulled you into him, and you rubbed his back while his arms slid around your shoulders. Out the corner of your eye, you felt Cass staring at you, smiling. 

Cass always knew that you would fit in with them - after all, you and her were almost the same person. She imagined you and them hitting it off, becoming friends just as close as she was to them. 

A beat later, Josh and another bust into the backyard with platters of hamburgers and hotdogs. He stood in a stance with his feet shoulder-width apart, and you noticed his red, white, and blue matching socks, and you giggled. 

“Alright!” He shouted. “Let’s get the grill going!” 

* * *

Hours passed in the backyard in the blink of an eye. 

Before anyone realized it, the house and backyard was packed with people who had trinkled in through the hours. Some popped in just before dinner, others right after, a few when the fire was lit. You walked across the backyard from a conversation with Josh and one of his friends, taking in the chaotic scenes presented in front of you - people mingling around the fire with marshmallows (but no chocolate as Cass forgot to pick up some) on sticks and skewers, dogs playing in the lawn near the fence, some were in the pool, others were dancing to the music coming from a speaker on the grill island, but most were drinking.

Settling down into a chair across from your friends, you were immediately pulled into a conversation with everyone involved. 

“There is no way!” Roman called out. “Wild World is still Cat Stevens’ best song,” 

“Dude, what the fuck, seriously,” Danny scooted to the edge of his seat, pointing at Roman while everyone around chuckled. “It’s Tea For The Tillerman. That’s his best song-” 

“It’s only a minute long!” 

“The length doesn’t matter!” 

Cass swiftly stood from her chair with an exasperated sigh, “I need a drink.” 

Roman grinned when his eyes set on you. “(Y/N),” he grinned, “what do you think? Wild World or Tea For The Tillerman?” 

You felt everyone in the circle turn to you - all eyes watching your eyes go big before shaking your head as if it was a dumb question. “Tea For The Tillerman,” 

“HA!” Danny yelled out and everyone laughed, but Roman kept the look of disbelief as it flooded over him.

“It’s only a minute long!” He repeated his argument.

You shrugged, taking a sip from your bottle, “and it’s the best minute long song I’ve ever heard.”

“What about The Music is You?” 

“Don’t use my love of John Denver against me,” you said with a grin.

Cass walked back to the circle of lawn chairs near the pool and settled down between Roman and Amy, another producer. “I just got the last beer from the cooler,” she said, breaking the tension of those arguing over this-or-that in terms of songs.

You looked down at the bottle in your hand, noticing that behind the amber glass, it was nearly empty. There were four cases of beer bought that day but after the hours passed, the cooler ran dry. The sun hadn’t even set yet, so you knew it wouldn’t be long before someone else wanted another drink before the fire grew bigger and bigger. The drunken antics were bound to start after nightfall.

Pushing yourself from the lawn chair, you pushed up the sleeves of your (borrowed from Sam) sweatshirt, and nodded. “I’ll make a beer run. Swear one of you might die if you don’t have a Bud Light while sitting around a fire.” 

“You are absolutely right. We are talking about aesthetics here, babe,” Cass teased, tapping her nails against the bottle in her hand. 

You laughed and slipped your feet back into your sandals, turning and walking across the lawn to the back doors. Stepping into the house, you heard footsteps approach you on the linoleum floors, and you looked up to see Jake standing in the doorway of the kitchen and hallway. 

“What’s up?” You asked, sliding the door shut behind you. 

“You making a beer run?”

“Yeah,” you licked your lips, “there’s a gas station just before the intersection a little ways away, so I’ll just pop in there and run back.” 

Jake’s interest piqued, and he glanced out the doors before turning back to you with a grin. “Alright, then I’ll drive,” 

You looked at him, tilting your head to the side, and he quickly stammered out a response.

“We’ll both get a case. Split it.” 

And you nodded with a smile. “Yeah, yeah, sounds good,” 

“Want to take my car?” Jake asked, turning and walking into the kitchen, allowing you to follow behind him.

You hummed, stepping into the kitchen and eyeing the bar where a familiar bright purple keyring full of novelty keychains rested next to the grocery bags. You grabbed the keys, turning to Jake with a smile. “We’ll take Cass’. She got the last beer, so I think it’s only fair we take the car for a little joyride.” 

Tossing the keys across the distance between you, Jake caught the keyring in his hand, the cold metal keys pressing against his palm, and even with a smile, he still raised a brow. “You sure? That’s her baby, you know.” 

“Birdie Mae is her prized possession, but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” 

And you two, with one last glance through the kitchen windows to make sure everyone was still in the backyard, made a break for it. Jogging out the side door and into the driveway, you two hopped into the convertible car and Jake was quick sliding the keys into the ignition and backing out, taking the car through the small, winding roads. You leaned back against the leather seats, admiring the setting sun, and smiled as the wind broke around you. Turning to Jake, you watched his hair swirl in the wind, watched him grip the wheel loosely, all while wearing a similar smile on his face, too. 

Jake drove the green vintage Mustang through the hills to a gas station on Sunset. You two walked into the store and scanned the aisles, tossing things into a small basket and making tough decisions on which beer brand was better. And eventually deciding to buy both. With one last glance over the aisles, you grabbed chocolate bars and tossed them in, for the smores later. 

The bell dinged above your heads as you both carried out bags and cases of beer back to the car parked out front. Los Angeles was buzzing during rush hour and the sun was starting to touch the tops of the palm trees in the distance. 

“So,” you hummed, placing the bags in the backseat, “you want to head back to the house?” 

Jake lowered into the driver's seat and you quickly joined him on the seat bench, shutting the door behind you. “I don’t wanna go back right now,” he said, a hand loosely on the wheel, but he hadn’t even started the car. He turned to you, curious eyes hiding behind his sunglasses. “Is there somewhere you want to visit that you haven’t yet?” 

You had spent the last few days anywhere and everywhere in Los Angeles, from Santa Monica Pier to the disco-themed bars on Hollywood Boulevard, but there was still one place you hadn’t been yet that had always been on your bucket-list. 

You leaned your head against the seat, looking at him with a smile - he was wanting to spend time with you, and luckily, you were wanting to do the same. 

“The Mulholland overlook,” 

“Mulholland?” Jake repeated and as soon as you nodded, his hand was shoving the key into the ignition. The engine roared under you, feet vibrating, and he shifted the car into reverse and looked at you with a grin that made your stomach flip. “Then let’s go to Mulholland,” 

And to Mulholland Jake drove. 

Passing by the house, this time in the opposite direction, Jake drove you up the hills and to a small pull-off just on the side of the road with the perfect view of the city. Heart pounding with excitement, you hopped out of the car and walked around to the front, to a small opening in the fence, and you saw the layout of the city below you. The city of millions rested right at your feet. 

“So,” Jake hummed, hopping onto the hood of Cass’ car, “do you like it here? In L.A.?” 

You stared out at the city laid before you - the sun was sitting behind the mountains past the observatory, the city lights flickering on below and around you both. 

“Yeah,” you admitted with a small breath, taking a step back and leaning against the car. “I think it would take some getting used to if I lived here, but I really like it.” 

“Ever see yourself here in the future?” 

“No,” you admitted and Jake chuckled at how quick your response was. “I mean, I like it, but not enough to fight traffic and deal with the hot weather every day.” 

“Didn’t Cass say you live in Austin?” 

“Yeah, but that’s different,” you looked at Jake and he shook his head at you. It wasn’t different at all. It might actually be worse. 

You laughed, arms crossing over your chest to fight off the wind picking up from the cars passing by. Both yours and Jake’s hair flew in tiny wisps. The wind wasn’t cool, but calming. There was a particular fresh air on top of the lookout that made you feel more at peace. 

You turned and looked back at Jake. “What about you?” You asked. “Has California become your home yet?” 

Jake tsked. “Don’t know about ‘home’ yet. We spend so much time here though, it kind of feels like it.” He glanced back at you, then back to the view. “We’ve been coming here off and on before and after touring, so it just feels like another stop before I get back to Nashville.” 

As a car sped past behind you, you turned and watched them pass by. Bits of sand from the lookout kicked up into the air, the trees swayed. Looking down at Cass’ car, you peered in through the windshield to the backseat where you spotted the bags from the gas station.

“Wait, hold on,” you turned and stepped around the side of the car, walking to the back. Jake glanced over his shoulder to see you reach into the backseat, and the plastic bag crinkled with the movements as you pulled out a bar of chocolate. You giggled, returning to his side and hopping up on the hood with him. “Think they can suffice without chocolate for s’mores?” 

“Considering we’ve been gone,” he glanced down at his watch, “for almost an hour, they might have to suffice without the beer too.” And you tore the package open, letting him have a corner piece, and you broke off one too.

A small silence fell over you two while looking out onto the city, the hills, the pink and yellow sunset fading to purple. You broke off another piece of the chocolate bar, popping it into your mouth while crossing your legs on the hood.

“So what does the future hold for you and the rest of the boys right now?” You finally asked the inevitable.

While the present was nice, you couldn’t help but already feel nostalgic about the moment you were living in. In hours you would be hopping back on a plane, and for the band, you were sure they would be somewhere in another country. 

“We leave for Europe in a week,” he said, leaning back against the windshield. “We’ll wrap up the last bit of writing and recording the next couple days and then spend the next… four months, I think, on the road.”

You recalled the times Cass called you at lunch after a few hours in the studio, and recalled the stories she would spew out after more than twelve-hours cooped up in a small room with the boys and their instruments. 

“All new places?”

“Some of them, yeah,” Jake nodded.

You smiled. “I hope you guys have a good time. European crowds are some of the best rock crowds out there right now.”

“Turns out Eastern European crowds like to break floors,” and you both laughed. He tilted his head to look at you. “What about you? When are you going back to Austin?” 

It felt like your heart was in your throat when you swallowed hard. You looked back at the city, lit up in all of its glory, and your heart yearned to stay, even for just a little while longer. 

“In the morning,” you finally said, looking back at him with a faltering smile, “but until then, I’ll try to make the best of it tonight.” 

After a beat, Jake reached out, finding the corner of the chocolate bar and popping off another piece. Your eyes flickered down to watch him break it off, and then your hand fell to break off a piece, too.

“But until then,” he held up his piece of chocolate and you laughed, holding out your piece to gently knock against his, and then you popped the piece into your mouth as he did his.

“Until then,” you repeated. 

Looking back, you shifted to the side and peered into the car where the bags sat, waiting to be taken to the house. “Until then, we have a backseat full of beer and chocolate and a whole group of people waiting for us to get back home.” 

Jake glanced over his shoulder to the backseat where the white bags sat, and he sighed loudly. While having his friends over for a party was always on the list of a good time for Jake, he was having more fun sitting on the roof of his friend’s car. He looked at you for a second, and a part of him wished you both could stay there for the entire night.

“Yeah, we might want to get going before one of us gets a strongly-worded text from Cass.” Jake said, wiping his hands on his jeans and sliding to the edge of the hood. 

“Fingers crossed she hasn’t figured out we took her car yet or we’re fuckin’ dead,” 

And you both laughed while sliding off the car, returning to the seats to drive back to the house in the canyon. 

You and Jake swooped back into the party five minutes later after a quick stop on Mulholland. The sun had set behind the mountains in the distance and the backyard and pool was lit with string lights. And while the food was gone, the grill closed for business, the music was the last remaining thing - you noticed that it was a Joni Mitchell song, so you assumed Sam had finally wrestled the control of the speakers from Josh’s grip. You were both welcomed back with groans and ‘finally’’s as you both shuffled onto the patio with cases of beer and a bag of Hershey chocolates, but you both laughed it off, and you turned to Jake, sending him a wink before helping move the chairs around the fire. 

* * *

“It’s Stevie! _Cass!_ It’s Stevie! Dance with me!” You called out - eyes wild, face warm from the drinks while you heard the classic Stevie Nicks song come on over the speaker across the yard. On the other side of the circle of chairs, you met Cass’ eyes, but she just shook her head. 

“I’m so tired, babe,” 

And a pout fell upon your lips, but you didn’t have a chance for it to weigh on your mind before a hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you into the open space of the yard. You looked down to the hand in yours - noting the threaded bracelet on their wrist, and your eyes flickered up to look at Jake. With a smile, allowing him to pull you into him, you followed his lead. 

The sound of Stevie’s voice filled the silence between conversations from those around the fire - it was Belle Fleur, your favorite of hers. When the beat picked up, creating a steady rhythm, you and Jake began to sway to the sound, allowing your bodies to flow freely while the others watched on and giggled. 

_“Mountain women live in the canyon, canyon dancing, all night long,”_

Your fingers found Jake’s, and you held up his arm to twirl him, the move generating laughter from the others when Jake bent his knees and spun under your arm.

_“Oh, will you dance with me? Will you dance with me, baby?”_

Taking a swift step back, you held your hands above your head, feeling the effects of the beers and single cocktail kick in your system, traveling through your body when you swayed. There was a buzz paired with the night breeze on your cheeks, and you allowed the sounds of the song to control how your body moved. 

You loved music. You lived through music with every melody.

Turning around, you smiled when your eyes locked with Jake’s. He had just spun around a few times like a ballerina, light on his feet and twirling on his toes, and you both laughed. 

You held up a hand, pointing at him as you sang along with the song to the best of your memory of the words, _“I will sing you a story of the moonlight, moonlight, will you dance with me?”_

Jake’s cheeks flushed pink - from the alcohol or from the fact that you were singing to him in the sweetest voice, he wasn’t sure. When the song came to a dramatic end, he took a step forward and stretched out an arm, sliding it around your waist. You instinctively leaned into him, out of breath and smiling with a dazed look on your face as he looked at you.

The next song came on quickly, replacing Stevie’s voice. Everyone assumed that whoever picked the first song must have searched keywords because the next song to play was one with a similar title - _La Belle Fleur Sauvage_. The pretty guitar chords filled the empty space and gave you and Jake a breather from dancing. 

“Thank you for being a good sport and dancing with me,” you slid an arm up and over his shoulder, palm pressed to his back. His warm hands touched your waist - touched the sliver of skin where the sweatshirt had rode up your hips, and you leaned in just a little bit closer. 

“I’ll always dance with you, pretty lady,” he teased and you laughed.

_“Ages come and go, but her life goes on the same, she lives to see the sun and feel the wind and drink the rain,”_

You looked at Jake - the string lights above your heads twinking in his brown eyes, his cheeks flushed and pink, and you smiled. Your heart was pounding. And Jake was drinking you in too - the way the lights bounced off your shiny hair, how easy it was to get lost in your gaze.

_“Her colors change to mark the passing of the days, no Earthly sight can match the beauty she displays,”_

“Come on, pretty boy,” you said, pulling back from him, arms sliding down from around his neck. You grabbed the wrist of his arm that was on your waist, your stomach flipping when you felt how warm his skin was against yours. “Let’s go get another drink,” 

And you pulled him along to the bar next to the grill, both of you with dumb smiles. 

_“I’d give it all to love that girl, I’ll be the one to pluck that fleur,”_

The party winded down as the hours passed by.

The sun had set hours ago and the lights were hot as they glowed bright, and those underneath the lights began to wind down too. The music had slowed down, the conversations halted, and everyone began to quiet down when the waves of exhaustion hit them. It had been a long day for them, you included - a morning of errands, an afternoon of preparation, and an evening and night of laughing, talking, drinking, dancing, and swimming. 

Outside of the house, you loaded the empty cooler into the back of Cass’ car, preparing to leave any minute after the final goodbyes were said, but you saw Jake walk out of the house first, both hands full of bags and platters of food. 

“They’re saying goodbye,” he said, swinging around the opposite side of the car and placing everything into the backseat. 

You playfully rolled your eyes. “Of course. Probably still in step one of the Midwestern goodbye,” and Jake gave you a chuckle.

Jake rounded the back of the car as you stepped around, both leaning against the trunk. He kicked his feet out, hands tucked deep in his pockets. “When did you say you’re going back to Austin?” He asked. 

“Tomorrow night,” you said, arms crossing over your chest. You felt your heart lurch into your throat - all you wanted to ask was “can I see you again at least?” but you couldn’t find the courage. Not even the alcohol in your system was enough liquid courage. So, instead, you cleared your throat and focused on the cars zooming by the house.

“Ah,” Jake tsked, “we’ll be in Austin in a few months, you know.” 

Your head perked up, quickly glancing over to your left to him. “Really? Do you guys have a show there?” 

Jake turned instinctively to you, and then pressed his elbows against the trunk. “Management called about an hour ago. We booked Austin City Limits in a few months.” 

You beamed brightly at him. For the last year, you have been working closely with organizers to finalize acts for the two-weekend festival. “I love ACL,” you said sweetly, “and you guys will love Austin too, especially during festival season.” 

He licked his lips, “I was thinking that uh,” there was a small pause, “maybe we could meet up or something while we’re there. We’re coming in the day before and everything, so, maybe then we could hang out or you could come see us.” 

And it was like a sigh of relief, a weight off your shoulders.

He wanted to see you too. It wasn’t just all in your mind. 

“Yeah, yeah, I would love that,” you smiled. Leaning off the car, you held out a hand, “let me give you my number and you can text me when you guys get to Austin,” and you paused before grinning, “or anytime that you want to reach me.” 

Jake quickly fished his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it and handing it to you. You took it from him and quickly punched in your name and phone number, and then handed it back.

Down the driveway, Cass and Roman emerged from the house, leaning on each other, giggling while making their way to the car. Turning back to Jake, you quickly leaned up on your toes and pressed a swift kiss to Jake’s cheek, and his face flushed. 

“Text me anytime, rockstar,” and you turned, sliding into the backseat of the car while Cass and Roman slid up front after a wave goodbye to the guitar player. 

Jake saw the red tail lights flash on, and the car slowly backed up and out onto the canyon road, and then he watched it disappear into the street. He chuckled to himself - _fuck_ , he was in deep.


	2. IT'S ONLY LOVE

_October, 2018._

“So do you guys always get drunk the night before shows?” You joke while hanging back with Jake, watching the three other boys run ahead down Dirty Six to one of the cliché tourist shops on the corner, moving through the throngs of families and drunk tourists who were in town for the weekend of music. 

Jake chuckled, tucking his hands into the pocket of his jacket. “Usually,” 

“And you decided to hold off for the night?” 

“Just don’t feel like making an idiot out of myself.” 

“I don’t know,” you hummed, stepping up on the sidewalk and glancing to him at your hip, “you seemed kind of like an idiot when you mounted the statue of the jackalope back at the bar.” 

“No, see, that’s just who I am,” he defended himself quickly and you laughed, nodding while still keeping an eye on the boys as they ducked into the shop. You picked up the pace of your steps, allowing you heeled boots to carry you as fast as they could go.

The hours of the night were ticking by fast.

Jake had texted you when they landed in Austin five hours ago, and three hours ago you met them on the sidewalk of your favorite restaurant. Two hours ago you all walked down Dirty Sixth Street in the heart of the city and an hour ago you were knocking back down salty dog cocktails with Josh in a bar while fighting off the others so they wouldn’t climb the jackalope statue in front of the bar. 

This night was the result of an entire summer and early autumn of back and forth text messages, long phone calls, and random social media comments between you and Jake. He was more forward than you thought. You gave him your number the night of the cook-out in Los Angeles, and three days later, he sent the first text. It was something funny and harmless, but it turned into so much more than just that. The next thing you knew, you were calling him in the early hours of the morning from Austin while they were in Europe, he was sending you postcards from Amsterdam and pictures from Toronto, and you caught yourself thinking about him more than often. 

There was a sense of familiarity when you two talked, when you laughed together through the speaker of the phone. You had only met once, but it seemed like you two had been together every day since that fateful day. 

Just a few weeks ago, Cass flew into Austin for a quick stop before heading to Nashville for her birthday, and the first thing out of her mouth when she saw you walk into the bar was - _“Alright, what’s up with you and Jake?_ ” A quick notice of a long phone conversation from Sam wound up with Roman finding out, and of course, if Roman knew, Cass had to know too. It was a long conversation over many cocktails at the hotel bar just next to Austin airport, and the long conversation ended with a realization in the back of an Uber on a drive home.

You did like Jake. 

A lot. 

You found yourself thinking about how you both escaped the party to go sit with each other on the hood of the car on Mulholland, how you danced under the lights of the backyard to the voice of Stevie Nicks. And you liked him. You checked the weather in whatever city he was in, you put his birthday in your calendar, you put every song he sent you in a playlist. He gave you that unfamiliar, school-girl-crush feeling in your chest, paired with the butterflies in your stomach. 

You tossed the sparkly cowboy on top of Jake’s head when he dove into the aisle you stood in, and you leaned into him, laughter mingling with his in the air when he reached up on the rack for the pink cowboy hat and placed it on your head. He pulled the two strings together under your chin and you looked at him, giggling when his fingers grazed your cheeks. Across the store, the three others heard you two and rolled their eyes, returning to flipping through the rack of cheesy touristy shirts.

“I should probably head back,” you said while slipping out of the shop into the loud street, a pink cowboy hat in hand while Jake followed out behind you. The three others already feet ahead, carrying bags with niche t-shirts and dumb magnets, and Danny even bought a fake armadillo statue for the hell of it. You glanced at your watch, noting that it was almost midnight. 

When the sun rose in Austin the next morning, Austin City Limits would officially kick off. While most artists don’t touch the stage until eleven a.m., people were going to be lined up outside of the park and rushing into the city for breakfasts and something fun to do before heading across the river. The boys’ set wasn’t until almost five o’clock p.m. tomorrow, but you would be one of the first in the park with all the other organizers and crew. 

Jake walked up to you as you paused on the pavement in the middle of the street. “You want me to wait for you so you can call a ride?”

You shook your head, “no, no don’t worry about that. I live just around the block, so it’s not a problem. I can walk it.” 

“Walk it?” He raised a brow. “Are you sure you want to?” 

“I do it all the time on the way home from the bars. I live in the center of downtown so it’s not dangerous at all with the cameras around.” You said.

From behind you, above the chaos of the people around, you could hear Josh calling out for you and Jake. You glanced over your shoulder to see him waving you both over, pointing to the sign of a 24/7 doughnut shop that Sam and Danny were already walking inside of. You laughed, holding up a hand to him before looking back at Jake, and he was looking at you with a raised brow, still skeptical about you walking back alone so late at night.

You sighed, still with a smile, and tried to reason; “If it makes you feel better, I can text you when I get to my building.” 

“When you get to the building, when you get to your apartment...” 

“Okay, _dad_ ,” you rolled your eyes and he chuckled, glancing down at the ground between his boots. You took a step backwards, and then another, and his eyes met yours again. “I’ll text you when I get there. I promise,” you assured him with a nod. “See you at the park?” 

He raised his brows, pointing at you, “you better.” 

And you laughed, bringing your hand to your mouth and kissing your fingers, then blowing him the kiss. Under the bright streetlights, you saw him smile wide, and then you turned around, walking across the road and down the street.

No less than five minutes later, you texted Jake, letting him know that you made it back to your building.

 **Okay!** He replied back a second later. **See you tomorrow pretty lady.**

* * *

Stepping out from under the tent, you focused your eyes on the park grounds in front of you. It was one o’clock on Friday afternoon and the festival was already in full swing. People were packed in front of stages, the lines at the food tents seemed miles long, and the lines at the drink tents were even longer. You had arrived just two hours prior with the organizers to take a second look over everything, to make sure everything was running smoothly before the gates opened, and now you took refuge in every shady spot to combat the sunshine. 

While taking a sip of your cocktail from the plastic cup, you felt your phone vibrate in your hand. Glancing down, you saw words light across the screen;

**Meet us in the artist village?**

It was Jake. Tongue pressing against your cheek, you smiled, quickly swiping your thumb on the screen to reply; _Be there in five_. 

Shoving the phone back into your small bag, you turned around, looking back under the tent where your co-worker Stevie sat, chatting with the others. She felt you look at her and perked her head up as you walked over, “what's up?” 

“Can you give me a ride to the artist village?” 

Stevie stood from her spot on the ground, wiping the grass off her pants. Her VIP pass and jewelry clang together while she took a step over. “Who are you sneaking away to see?”

“The guys from Greta Van Fleet,” you said unabashedly, “I met them this past summer when I was in L.A. and became good friends.” 

“Always sneaking away for boys, huh?”

“Hey, last year I snuck away to meet Tove Lo.” 

“Yes! Without me!” She yelled out and you laughed. 

Sliding a leg into the golf cart, you situated yourself on the bench seat, and not even a second later, a few of your other co-workers hopped on the back, never able to turn down a chance to take a ride across the festival grounds. Stevie started the golf cart and took off, zooming to the edge of the grounds and driving to the artist village where most of the performers hung out before and after their set. 

Feeling the sun beat down onto your shoulders and the hot breeze against your face, you closed your eyes and smiled. Festival season was your favorite season, and the weather this year permitted times like this, times you could enjoy, unlike the last two years where it rained for hours straight. 

The golf cart zoomed by food tents and drink tents, behind festival stages where you could hear bands and singers perform to lively crowds, and pulled up to the park lined with tents and tables at the north of the grounds. Stevie stopped the cart, allowing you to hop out as she took another drink.

“Go have fun without me!” She called out and you playfully rolled your eyes behind the heart-shaped sunglasses you were sporting.

“I could never!” You yelled, walking backwards towards the area that had been roped off from general access.

Stevie then rolled her eyes and pulled out the cliché line, “just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

“That’s a small list, Steve,” Jack said from the backside of the golf cart, and you laughed while Stevie reached around to playfully smack him on the arm. She looked back at you to shake her head, and you bid adieu with a small wave before turning around and walking to the village. Underneath a canopy of trees draped with colorful tapestries and lights sat rounded tables with lounge chairs, and there were radio stations and sets under tents for interviews, but for the most part, artists were roaming the open village or eating at picnic tables. 

“You got your pass, (Y/L/N)?” You looked over to see Jimmy, one of the crew members on the grounds that weekend. He was security, overseeing the crowd and festival-goers to make sure everything was running smoothly.

You motioned down to your foot where the pass was clipped to the edge of your boot; **_(Y/N) (Y/L/N) AUSTIN CITY LIMITS VIP ACCESS_ **. Jimmy laughed. “Alright princess, go ahead,” he nodded his head to the village and you obeyed, walking past the tables and immersing yourself into the throngs of people. 

Across the village, sitting in neon green and blue lawn chairs under a frayed tapestry on the tree, sat the four boys and a few others. Sliding around the edge of the tables, you walked up behind their chairs and grabbed Sam’s shoulders. You felt him jump under your palms before he glanced over his shoulder to you, catching the attention of the others seated next to him.

“(Y/N)!” You heard a chorus of your name shouted in each direction as they all stood from their chairs to greet you. You hugged Sam and Danny and kissed Josh’s cheek, and turned to see Jake last as he stood, and when he stood, he opened his arms wide. You smiled and raised your arms, stepping into him and hugging him. His arms slid around your waist, igniting your stomach in flames before pulling back. 

You made your way around, giving hugs and cheek kisses before settling down in the extra chair, careful not to spill your drink while shooting them all a smile.

“So, do you guys love this place or do you love it?” 

You took a sip from your cup and watched them laugh. “They brought us beer to the dressing room earlier so it’s going pretty well already. A real warm welcome.” Josh chuckled, leaning back into his chair.

“It’s the Texas hospitality I keep telling you guys about.” You said.

“Yeah, but you didn’t tell us about the dumb fucking laws you all have.” Sam rolled his eyes and you tilted your head.

“Oh yeah, like how it’s illegal to milk someone else’s cow?” 

“ _WHO_ is going to milk someone else’s cow?” Danny yelled out loud enough to draw attention from others around them and you laughed as you felt their eyes on your group. 

“Apparently it was a real problem back in the day.” You shrugged before taking another sip of your cocktail. 

Out the corner of your eye, you watched a member of the boy’s tour crew walk up from near the tents. He was wearing all black, even in the summer heat, with their band named ironed across the pocket of his shirt. He came up, asking them about their lunch plans, but Jake took your attention when he reached over and patted your knee.

You turned to your right and looked at him, locking eyes behind your sunglasses. “Come with me,” he said, standing and holding out a hand, “I’ll show you our dressing room.” 

And there was no pause or hesitation for you. You reached up, sliding your hand into his and standing from your chair. Whilst the others debated on where and what they wanted to eat, you and Jake slid away and walked together, hands gently swinging between your bodies. You looked down where your hands connected and saw his fingers folded over yours, and you bit your bottom lip to hold back the large smile that tempted your mouth. Jake was more nonchalant, but couldn’t contain his grin as you squeezed his hand to get his attention every time you saw someone you knew or a dog along the way.

Jake lead you through the artist village, past radio station interviews and tables full of people, to the lot of tents out back. In the midst of the park trees, white tents sat with papers attached to the pinned back wall, claiming them with an artist or band name. 

“How long have you guys been here?” You asked between sips from your cup.

He hummed. “About fifteen minutes,” 

“Oh, so you texted me immediately.” 

He shrugged loosely, glancing at you with a grin, “I wanted to see you.” 

And you didn’t have a chance to say anything else before he led you to their tent. Jake walked over and pulled back to the corner of the tent and held it open for you. You walked up, pulling your sunglasses to the top of your head, allowing your eyes to take in the sight of the small dressing room. Festival dressing rooms were never much, all depending on where it was held, and ACL was not much different. It was an air-conditioned tent furnished with colorful rugs and matching sofas and chairs, tapestries on the walls, and tables. Jake stepped in behind you, dropping the corner of the tent entry.

“They set you guys up nice, you know. I went to another dressing room earlier and they only had a few chairs and a small fan in the corner of the room.” You said, walking in further. 

“It pays to be a band of four. That means double everything.” Jake stepped over and grabbed a bag off the ground. “And for some reason, they even brought Danny another set of golf clubs as if he doesn’t take his everywhere with him.” 

“Did he take them to Europe too?” 

“He would sleep with them if he could.” Jake said dropping the bag back to the ground and you both shared a laugh.

Stepping up next to a chair, you looked at the coffee table to see candles, magazines, but a few extra items too. In a small black basket there was a Hershey chocolate bar. You stepped forward, bending down in front of the sofa to look at it carefully. Next to the chocolate bar was a cassette tape of _24 Karat Gold_ by Stevie Nicks and a bottle of Corona beer. Your heart lurched into your throat. The items in the basket all related back to the night you and Jake met in Los Angeles - eating chocolate on Mulholland, dancing to Stevie Nicks, and drinking Coronas together until it was time to say goodbyes. 

You looked up at Jake. He had crossed the space of the room to you, lowering down to sit on the armrest of the seat across from you. He saw the disbelief in your eyes.

“Jacob,” you said firmly, “you didn’t have to do this.” 

He shrugged. “I wanted to. I wanted to do something for you.” 

You picked up the cassette tape, running your fingers over the plastic casing. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you’re trying to flirt with me right now.” You teased.

Jake chuckled. “You think me giving you gifts is my way of flirting?” 

You tilted your head up, looking at him, “I wish it was.” And a slow smile crept up your face when you saw him smirk back at you. Placing the cassette tape back into the box, you stood from the sofa, “so,” you ran your palms on the material of your jeans, trying to think of something to change the subject, “what are you wearing tonight? Something extravagant as always?” 

“Are we _that_ extravagant?” 

“Every article about you guys always includes what you wore that night.” You said, walking across the tent to their wardrobes, peering inside to see all their tour outfits - sparkly cropped jackets, vests, boots, belts, and lots of feathers. 

He spun around on the armrest of the chair. “You read articles about us?” 

You hummed, reaching into the wardrobe box labeled with his name. “Sometimes,” you admitted before spinning around and looking at him, holding onto a hanger with a black and white striped shirt. “What about this?” 

Jake walked over to you, eyeing the see-through shirt. “Okay,” he licked his lips, “with what underneath it?” 

“Jake, for as long as I have known you, you have never worn anything under a shirt.” You reached out with a free hand, pinching the material of the button-up he was wearing and tugged on it. It was printed, unbuttoned to his abdomen, and had no shirt on underneath it. He laughed.

“Okay, okay, so that shirt and then what?” He asked and you both dived into the wardrobe.

A couple hours later, after searching through wardrobe boxes and suitcases and eventually grabbing lunch, you saw Jake in the shirt you had picked out for him. He met you back at a table in the village where you sat with the other three who were picking at instruments and warming up for their set. Just feet away, he opened his arms and spun around for you, looking back with a large grin as you gave a quick round of applause.

“Okay, you proved me wrong,” you pointed down at his feet, “the boots do go with the belt.” 

“I told you baby, trust me,” he said playfully and you rolled your eyes before returning the circle. 

Sam and Danny were strumming lightly at guitars, Josh humming to himself, all before a familiar tune was played. Your head immediately snapped to Sam and he sat with a dumb grin on his face while everyone shouted, _“SWEET HOME ALABAMA”_ and you threw back the rest of your drink while Josh snickered at your reaction. Growing up in the south, that song seemed to follow you everywhere, including music festivals. It was played between sets, picked at parties, or played from a speaker from randoms on the park grounds. 

“You hanging around for the set?” Josh asked you when you leaned over the arm over your chair to grab another beer from the cooler.

You looked back at him, shaking the ice from your hands, “yeah, do you think I hung around because I like you guys?” And you watched him shake his head, his curls shifting as he chuckled.

“I would like to think so.” He said dejectedly, but he also knew you were joking. 

“I do, I do, I promise,” 

You hung out with the boys for half an hour at the table, listening to them pluck at strings and create rhythms on the table with drumsticks, joining in to sing a few lines here and there from any song that came to Josh’s mind and out his mouth. You sang softly under your voice as Josh rattled off a few lyrics to John Denver songs. Fifteen minutes before they were due to be on stage, a few members of the festival crew came up to the table, ushering them up to their feet and on a path to the Miller Lite stage. You trailed behind them and the crew, lingering back while taking in the views of the festival around - the colorful flags in the middle of the grounds that blew in the hot breeze, the cloudless sky, the hundreds of people rushing from stage to stage, and the lines at food and drink tents across the park. 

When the crew led the boys to the stage, they took their acoustic instruments and led them up the stairs. Jake turned around and glanced at you, and he saw you waiting behind. 

“Come on,” he used his head to motion to the stage.

“I can watch from down here,” you said pointing to the small path that led to the front of the stage between the crowd barrier and security. “Get the full fan experience.” 

“No, no,” Sam shook his head and a finger at you, causing you to laugh. “You deserve to be up here with us.” 

You pressed your hand to your chest, just above your heart, as you smiled. _You deserve to be up here with us_ rang in your head as you crossed the grass to the small steps that led to the stage. In the last four months you had met the boys once, talked to them numerous times, but they wanted you to be on the stage with them. And that made you happy.

The Miller Lite Stage was the second biggest on the grounds and it would hold one of the main acts of the weekend every night, but in no way was it built to hold a whole VIP section on both sides, the band and their equipment, and people on the side stage. You squeezed in behind tour boxes and even extra guitars to find a small spot between the tour crew and the cameraman just in time to see them take the stage. 

_“Good day sunshine, good day sunshine,”_ Josh sang as the band walked out onto the stage, met with a roar from the crowd that had gathered in front of them. You looked out seeing phones and hats and posters, flags, and even merchandise for the band, and you smiled. 

Performing was something that the fans loved seeing them do just as much as it was something the boys loved to do.

Something that they were _made_ to do.

It was obvious, with every beat of the drum, thump of the bass, pluck of a string, and strut across the stage that performing was something the boys lived for. 

You watched from the side of the stage as they flew through the setlist of Highway Tune, Edge Of Darkness, and Flower Power. For the last few months, you found yourself listening to their music more and more - in the car on the way to work, playing in the background while you fixed dinner. It was like a natural inclination to hear them, partly for your love of the resurgence of rock music, but partly for the love you had grown to have for them. 

Live music had always been a part of your life. You grew up in Nashville with big name musicians and bands coming to play every weekend, you went to music festivals with friends in the summer, and that’s why you found yourself working behind-the-scenes of the industry. It was the perfect combination of your passions and your work ethic. Because becoming an artist with not an option for your lack of musical talent and abilities. So, instead, you appreciated it from the side of a stage or in the crowd.

A little over halfway into their set, the boys made last minute changes. Sam positioned himself at keys and one of the crew members ran onto the stage with an acoustic guitar, helping Jake trade out while Josh distracted the crowd. Behind your sunglasses, you watched as Jake tuned the strings and double-checked the pedals in front of him, and while Josh carried on talking to the crowd about the new song, Jake turned his attention to you. 

“This ones for you!” He said under the crowd, pointing to you. Your heart beat rapidly against your chest at his words, and you held up a hand to him, acknowledging his dedication before he turned back to the stage where he began to play the first few chords of the song’s introduction while Sam and Danny joined in a beat later.

 _“Babe, ain’t no denying, that I’ve got you in my head. Girl, I’d be flying, if you stood yourself and said…”_ Jake joined Josh at the microphone in center stage as they sang to the chorus, _“You’re the one I want, you’re the one I need. You’re the one I had, so come on back to me,”_

You hid your smile behind your cup, unable to contain just how happy the melody of the song, and the words, made you feel. A song dedication was a sweet sentiment, one that made you weak, especially a song with lyrics like those.

A handful of minutes later, after the completion of the set with Black Smoke Rising and Safari Song, you listened to the deafening crowd as the boys walked off. They gave last waves, tossed guitar picks and drumsticks, and jogged off to take their first breather since the moment they stepped on. Abandoning your drink and bag on one of the equipment boxes, you jogged over to the edge of the curtain as Jake walked off, and you caught him right in his tracks.

Sweat listened on his forehead, his hair wild, but when he looked at you, he looked at you with the biggest smile that flipped your stomach. There was no pause for a conversation or to say ‘good job’, instead, you reached out, grabbing his cheeks, and you kissed him. Jake held the neck of his electric guitar in one hand with the other immediately going to your waist, rounding your body and pulling you into him. Pulling back just slightly, your nose grazed his, and then he leaned into you, capturing your lips with his once more, sending your head swirling.

“You know,” Jake leaned back, licking his lips, “giving gifts isn’t my way of flirting, but a song dedication is.” 

With the callback to earlier in the day when you teased him about the gift in the dressing room, you blushed with a laugh. “I was wishing it was,” you said and Jake grinned before pecking your lips once more, and then pulling you behind the stage where you all rejoined with the others to celebrate the set.


End file.
